REC receives €1.3 million for solar cell research

The Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) has received €1.3 million from Singapore’s Clean Energy Research program (CERP). Overall, the program awarded €6.9 million to five solar energy research teams.

REC manufactures photovoltaic modules, cells and wafers in Singapore.

REC

A spokesperson told pv magazine that Norway-based REC has been awarded SG$1.9 million from CERP to both develop and commercialize back contact modules. Together with its partner ASM Technology Singapore Pte Ltd, the company will look at reducing costs and improving efficiency through the use of Metal Wrap Through (MWT) technology.

According to the spokesperson, the research work will be carried out in Singapore, where the company manufactures photovoltaic wafers, cells and modules. "The technology activities related to cells and modules concentrate on higher efficiency and lower cost devices to be produced in REC’s cell and module plants. An integral part of these efforts are production technologies for handling thinner wafers," they said. They did not disclose what efficiency gains or cost reductions the company was targeting, however.

Another four solar energy research teams have also reportedly received a portion of the €6.9 million allocated by CERP. In a grant call, the program said it was looking for research proposals dealing with: crystalline silicon cost reductions in materials, cells, modules and systems (Domain A); and silicon wafer, cell and module recycling innovations (Domain B).

On its website, it explained, "For Domains A and B, the emphasis will be on innovations in increasing efficiencies, reducing material use and implementing novel design and test methodologies for PV materials, wafer cells, modules and systems. These processes and technologies should exhibit improvements in overall cost as well as cell or module efficiencies."

CERP could not be immediately contacted for more information on which other companies had received funding.